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YSJ Equipment & Setup

Before we delve further into the developments of the iPad project we thought it would be worth sharing our experience of setting up and managing the iPads. One of the big concerns when we started the project was how the iPads would be effectively managed and deployed. We were looking to streamline the process of charging, syncing and installing apps on the devices as much as possible.

Having researched into various pieces of equipment to do this we decided to purchase the Bretford PowerSync cart. The cart allows you to securely store, charge, sync and transport up to 30 iPad devices at a time.

The PowerSync Cart connects to a laptop with iTunes (in our case a MacBook Pro) allowing us to move selected resources (apps, books, podcasts) to each iPad. In addition to iTunes we are also using the Apple Configurator software.

The Apple Configurator software enables us to configure profiles and install apps on multiple devices simultaneously. One advantage of using the Apple Configurator software is the ability to create and install configured profiles on each iPad. Installing profiles on each of the devices enables you to restrict access to certain iPad settings such as disabling app purchases and the ability to delete apps. Both of which are important when you are using the devices with students in the classroom.